New telecommunication features and options continue to be developed for facilitating voice communications, both as to expediting the communications as well as improving and increasing the amount of information passed between parties. As to the latter mentioned capability, major telephone operating companies currently provide facilities for forwarding the calling party's telephone number to the destination to thereby apprise the called party of the originating telephone number. The operational parameters of such a service are described in the technical advisory entitled, "Calling Number Delivery", Bell Communications Research, TA-TSY-000031, November, 1984. This capability is made possible by the provision of a small digital visual display or readout incorporated into the called party's telephone set. Electronic switching systems can easily identify a party placing a call, and the telephone directory number assigned to the calling party. During the ringing stage of an incoming call to a destination telephone set, the readout indicates the telephone number of the calling party, thereby giving an indication of the identity of the calling party, even before the telephone is answered. The party receiving the telephone call can then respond to the call, knowing the origination of the call and/or the identity of the calling party.
In other variations of the foregoing, there exist features in telecommunication systems which process incoming calls by first answering the call with a recorded message which invites the calling party to dial the extension number of the desired called party. After receiving the telephone number input by the calling party, the system prompts the calling party to verbally input his or her name, which verbal input is recorded by the system. The call is then completed to the called party by announcing the recorded name or identity of the calling party. On being apprised of the identity of the calling party, the called party can dispose of the call in one of various manners. For example, the called party may key into the system selected digits for completing the incoming call, or rejecting the call.
While the foregoing features increase the information communicated in connection with telephone calls and thereby enhance telecommunications, several inherent shortcomings still exists. For example, in both of the features noted above, the called party is interrupted or confronted with every telephone call, irrespective of whether he or she desires to respond to such call based upon the known identity of the calling party. In addition, new telephone sets are required for those situations when the telephone number of the calling party is displayed.
A need therefore exists for further enhancements in telecommunication call processing for allowing the called party to preprogram the communication system so as to provide personalized call routing of incoming calls. There is a further need for automatically routing telephone calls to various destinations, such as attendants, voice message centers, to the called party, etc., based upon the forwarded identity of the calling party.